Hobby horse

ABSTRACT

A hobby horse or like toy in the form of other animals or characters, adapted to be worn about the waist of a child. This toy comprises a fore section consisting of the head and adjoining parts of the forequarters of a toy horse or other animal or character, a hind section comprising of the rump and adjoining parts of the hindquarters of a toy horse or other animal or character, and elastic sides adjoining said fore and hind sections to support them about the waist of a child, said fore and hind sections and said elastic sides being of sufficient flexibility to conform and cling to the child&#39;&#39;s waist.

United States Patent White [4 Nov. 18, 1975 [5 HOBBY HORSE 75 Inventor: Rod L. White, Livingston, NJ. Assigneei sl c fi oclfig Toy C n Attorney, Agent, or FirmStoll and Stoll [22] F1166; Nov. 25, 1974 21 Appl. No.2 526,468 57 ABSTRACT 52 us. 01. 272/1 1); 273/DIG. 19 A hibby horse Z i g the of ogher 1 51 Int. (:1. A636 31/00; A6311 3/02 f ifi q a aPte egvom 9 6 9 0 [58] new of Search 272 D, l C, 21, 25, 52; c 1 1s toy comprises a ore sectlon consisting 0 46/1 B, 1 G, l H, 116,123,127, 202, DIG. 1; 273/DIG. 19; D34/l5 AE; 161/76, 77; 24/3 A, 49 S; 36/51; 280/113, 1.1 R

the head and adjoining parts of the forequarters of a toy horse or other animal or character, a hind section comprising of the rump and adjoining parts of the hindquarters of a toy horse or other animal or character, and elastic sides adjoining said fore and hind sections to support them about the waist of a child, said fore and hind sections and said elastic sides being of sufficient flexibility to conform and cling to the childs waist.

1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,920,239

US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet2of2 3,920,239

HOBBY HORSE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention This invention relates to hobby horses and like toys in the form of other animals or characters, and which are adapted to be held or worn by a child acting the part of a rider on a horse or other animal.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art The closest prior art known to applicant consists of the following US. Pat. Nos.: 1,914,732; 2,100,245; 2,264,214; 2,659,600; 2,707,102; 2,756,997; 3,224,762.

The closest of these patents is US. Pat. No. 3,224,762, which shows a hobby horse adapted to be worn by a child. However. its construction includes a rigid frame which precludes the toy from conforming and clinging to the childs waist.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The hobby horse of the present invention is adapted to be worn closely about the waist of a child. All of its parts in the region of the childs waist are sufficiently flexible or contoured to conform and cling to the childs waist. The hobby horse has fore and hind sections which simulate the head and rump and adjoining parts of the forequarters and hindquarters ofa horse or other animal or character, and a pair of elastic side members which join said fore and hind sections and hold them in place about the waist of a child.

In the preferred form of the invention the parts of the simulated animal are made of substantially the same stuffed-toy constructed of which conventional stuffed dolls and toy animals are made. The outer skin is flexible, and the inner stuffing is pliable. Consequently, when the elastic sides draw the fore and hind sections against the front and back of the child's waist, both of said sections, as well as the elastic sides themselves, closely conform to the contours of the waist and closely cling thereto.

In the imaginative eyes of the child, he is as closely associated with the hobby horse as a true-life rider is with his true-life horse.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a side view of a hobby horse made in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows the same hobby horse in wearing position about the waist of a child.

FIG. 3 is a top view of said hobby horse as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is another top view of said hobby horse as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hobby horse 10, as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, is

made in accordance with the basic principles of the present invention. It comprises a fore section 12, a hind section 14, and a pair of connecting side sections 16 and 18, respectively. In this illustrated form of the invention the fore section 12 consists of a head 12a and a neck 12b (which may include a chest or portion thereof) of stuffed toy horse construction. hind section 14 consists of the rump 14a, possibly including adjacent hindquarter parts, and tail 14b of like stuffed toy horse construction.

Each of the sides 16, 18 consists of an elastic band 20 and a gathered strip 22 secured thereto, as by sewing. The two side members l6, 18 are attached, as by sewing, to the fore and rear sections of the hobby horse, thereby forming a unitary toy which may be worn about the waist of a child. The elastic bands 20 stretch and the side strips 22 expand to accommodate the waist of the child, and it will be seen in the drawing that these elastic side members conform and cling to the sides of the child while the fore and rear sections conform and cling, respectively, to the front and back portions of the childs waist.

The child may run freely while wearing the hobby horse, without danger that it may be dislodged in the process. Additionally, should the child trip and fall, the hobby horse would tend to cushion the fall, and there would be no rigid part in the hobby horse construction which could injure the child.

The foregoing is illustrative of a preferred form of the invention, and it will be apparent that the principles of the invention, as defined in the appended claims, may be applied to other forms of the invention, as for example a camel or ostrich or any of the other animals which men ride.

I claim:

l. A stuffed hobby horse or like toy in the form of a stuffed character and adapted to be worn about the waist, said hobby horse or like toy having non-rigid structure components solely whereby injury to a child playing therewith is precluded, said hobby horse or other toy comprising:

a. a fore section'consisting of the head and neck of a stuffed character,

b. a hind section consisting of the rump of a stuffed character,

c. said fore and hind sections having a flexible outer skin and a pliable inner stuffing, and

d. elastic sides joining said fore and hind sections to support them about the waist of a child,

c. said elastic sides constituting the only means joining said sections and comprising an elastic band and a gathered strip of material sewn thereto,

f. said elastic band being adapted to stretch and said gathered strip being adapted to expand to accommodate the waist of a child,

g. said fore and hin'd sections and said elastic sides being conformable to the contours of the childs waist completely thereabout in response to the elastic sides inwardly drawing the pliable sections against the waist of the child. 

1. A stuffed hobby horse or like toy in the form of a stuffed character and adapted to be worn about the waist, said hobby horse or like toy having non-rigid structure components solely whereby injury to a child playing therewith is precluded, said hobby horse or other toy comprising: a. a fore section consisting of the head and neck of a stuffed character, b. a hind section consisting of the rump of a stuffed character, c. said fore and hind sections having a flexible outer skin and a pliable inner stuffing, and d. elastic sides joining said fore and hind sections to support them about the waist of a child, e. said elastic sides constituting the only means joining said sections and comprising an elastic band and a gathered strip of material sewn thereto, f. said elastic band being adapted to stretch and said gathered strip being adapted to expand to accommodate the waist of a child, g. said fore and hind sections and said elastic sides being conformable to the contours of the child''s waist completely thereabout in response to the elastic sides inwardly drawing the pliable sections against the waist of the child. 